Best time to cut hay sparing turkey nests?

[readonly]

What's generally the best time for first cut avoiding nests? I normally cut in June but looking to do week of Memorial day. I would prefer to avoid nesting turkies.

 

[MickThompson]

What's generally the best time for first cut avoiding nests? I normally cut in June but looking to do week of Memorial day. I would prefer to avoid nesting turkies.

The earlier you cut right now the more likely you are to get nests

 

[Griswold]

On our places nothing is cut or bushogged until last week of june

 

[deerhunter10]

We make and sell horse quality hay, so we are forced to cut early. We have only hit one nest out of the 100 acres we have cut already. Its part of it. We also have changed the way we farm we leave our edges. And we have also done habitat improvements to try to get our turkeys where we can out of nesting in our hayfields. Sometimes easier said then done. Turkeys will nest from April to mid to late June. Sadly it is what it is.

 

[yellalinehunter]

Saw a hen walking a cut hayfield this afternoon. Figured she had lost her nest. Hated to see it. Need more birds in our area

 

[megalomaniac]

Dude... you want the LONG version or short version?

This is the best hay season in YEARS as far as turkeys!!!!.

You cut hay when its ready... and that changes from year to year based on spring temps.

BUT the turkeys DONT change from year to year... everyone screaming 'early spring and the turkeys are done by mid April!!!'... NOPE. The turkeys peak breed April 12, the same as every year.

The big difference this year with the early spring is hay is ready right now... so we are cutting hay, bumping hens off their nest because they are early in the incubation phase. The eggs are lost, but the hen abandons the nest and survives. I've saved plenty of gobblers, so they have a decent chance of mating again and renesting rigjt now. (You are screwed of you have already killed all your toms)

In a normal year, we are cutting hay beginning.of June, and hens are in lockdown (for those that dont know, lockdown is the last 3 or 4 days of incubation... and the hen will NOT leave the eggs for any reason), so BOTH the hen and the eggs are destroyed by the hay equipment. Much more devastating to lose a reproductive hen than just her eggs.

This year lines up to be the best poult recruitment I've ever had... even though I have zero poults on the ground as of today. Early spring. Early hay season. Predators destroyed over past 4 years.

 

[Huntaholic]

August is usually safe.

 

[Creek bottoms]

I don't cut hay, but I delay the first bush hogging until July 4th. Fawns will also get up and run off by then.

 

[Woodsman10]

August to September. Turkeys hatch in May and June. Fawns are born in late Nune and July where in at. I do all my stuff in late August.

 

[kevin mays]

You cut your hay when it's best suited for your farm operation

 

[nwsg76]

Here are some things to consider.
Are you cutting hay for maximum yield or maximum quality?
Are you cutting cool season grasses or warm season grasses?
Are you selling high quality horse hay?


This will come across as being a smart butt, but no real way to get point across. If you were a turkey that was nesting, is there a better day to have yiur nest attempt destroyed? We all have different objectives and have the right to manage to meet those objectives. But if someone said I am gonna destroy you house tomorrow, you wouldn't be happy. Really not much different than destroying the turkey nest. There is no good time to destroy nest attempt in the eyes of a turkey.

Many farms just need a little habitat work to make hens move from nesting in hay fields and moving nest into scrubby areas.
Here is a great video from tn research providing real example of nesting preference.


Is there a payment amount that would make you consider delaying your hay harvest until later in the summer? Maybe $150 per acre to not hay in April- June? Would that help offset loss of hay quality or production? That money could be used to buy hay from someone else's first cutting and then you could cut in fall without as much impact on nesting.
It maybe possible to eat your cake and have it too..

 

[DoubleRidge]

Many farms just need a little habitat work to make hens move from nesting in hay fields and moving nest into scrubby areas.

This statement is so true. Not always an easy idea to sell but leaving areas to grow up into more early successional type habitat gives hens more options. Select areas where hay production isnt the best...narrow sections of fields, corners and edges, etc. And let those areas develop into more premium nesting habitat. Changing our mindset as to what "looks" good on the farm is key to this conversation. Old field growth early successional habitat is fantastic for wildlife...and even if we just convert portions of the property it would be a step in the right direction for a variety of species....especially nesting hens and mama does....and great video. Dr Craig has some good educational material out there and several publications well worth the read.

 

[backyardtndeer]

Now may not be the best time. I took the side by side back on Monday to check on some trees that I recently planted. Drove up on a turkey with tiny poults smack dab in the middle of my clover plot. Poults scattered and the hen stood there yelling at me. That plot and field needs cut now, but I may put it off a couple weeks.

 

[Coker]

Is it "cut" or "mow"? That is today's question

 

[Quailman]

Now may not be the best time. I took the side by side back on Monday to check on some trees that I recently planted. Drove up on a turkey with tiny poults smack dab in the middle of my clover plot. Poults scattered and the hen stood there yelling at me. That plot and field needs cut now, but I may put it off a couple weeks.

Just curious, why does the clover plot need to be cut right now? Do you have excessive weed competition that you're trying to control? They provide pretty good brood habitat this time of year if left standing. I typically only clip my clover plots high once per year unless I'm having to spray for grass/weed control.

 

[Planking]

Since i stop cutting hay 95% gets mowed in late winter. It works pretty good for nesting and that's why i do it. The plots get mowed before they get planted, same with the thermal road hunter screen. Maximum wildlife production is the goal.

 

[lafn96]

Is there a payment amount that would make you consider delaying your hay harvest until later in the summer? Maybe $150 per acre to not hay in April- June?

$150/acre is about double what land leases for around me. Where would that money come from, and who would be willing to pay that much?

 

[backyardtndeer]

Just curious, why does the clover plot need to be cut right now? Do you have excessive weed competition that you're trying to control? They provide pretty good brood habitat this time of year if left standing. I typically only clip my clover plots high once per year unless I'm having to spray for grass/weed control.

To manage it.

 

[kevin mays]

I don't hay mine anymore
I do cut mine right before turkey season where I want them to travel . Then I mow again 3 weeks later in those same strips. Has been very productive in keeping my turkeys visual and on my places . I also increased 10 fold area that don't get mowed . The areas I mow are routinely strut areas
This practice has changed significantly how many turkeys we have on our farms
Turkeys are no different than us . They don't want to get soaking wet in the morning dew. So our birds stay in the woods or in the mowed areas daily until it dries

 

[Quailman]

To manage it.

I'm not trying to be argumentative, but I am just asking a simple question. Having spent nearly 30 years professionally in wildlife management and conservation, I'm always curious about how individuals manage their own property. I typically recommend to landowners not to mow their clover plots continuously throughout the growing season unless there is a competition problem from unwanted grasses and weeds. As I mentioned previously, clover plots this time of year can be very attractive for turkey poults as they provide foraging opportunities and overhead concealment at the same time.
I also commonly see youtube videos where "wildlife experts" recommend mowing clover plots to supposedly promote young tender vegetation, but in reality this isn't really needed a great deal. I do clip my plots high late summer to control weeds and grasses from going to seed, but if I'm constantly mowing my plots, I'm only removing additional food resources needed at this time of the year.
A lot of variables of course based on your own situation, but it's just my 2 cents. I applaud your efforts though, as we all know it takes a lot of time and dedication to manage for wildlife!

 

[MickThompson]

To manage it.

To manage it how?

To add to Quailman's comment, my strongest clover come August heat will be the clover with shade on it, whether it be from adjacent trees or the "weeds" I didn't cut, and a lot of those weeds feed deer just as well or better than the clover.

Forbs (including clover) grow from the end and grasses from the base. Clipping will "refresh" grasses but only chops good forage on forbs.

 

[kevin mays]

Mowing depends also what your trying to accomplish
I mowed mine because I had oats and wheat w cereal rye in n it . I wanted to catch it before those came to seed head
I have other plots where I leave them but this one I mowed was a grownup are between a creek and hardwood
My hope is to establish a clover plot that requires way less maintenance.
I'm not worried about loosing the cereal grains. I have tons in other spots along w corn and beans and peas
I also didn't want turkeys nesting in mine (I have lots of areas for that) and we had high hopes of killing a few turkeys out of it. And we have been doing as I stated earlier way better in areas that aren't tall

In march it looked like this

Now it looks like this after mowing and clethodim

 

[megalomaniac]

Hay for cattle HAS to be cut when its ready, and there is a 4d period without rain in the forecast. When its ready depends on growth based on average daily temps. Cut it late, and its too stemmy, plus it sets you back on getting your 2nd cutting.

Such a wonderful hay season this year, because we cut mid May instead of 1st week of June. No hens killed.

The food plots I left this spring. I have doubts they will be decent brood cover, I think they are just too thick

 

[backyardtndeer]

I'm not trying to be argumentative, but I am just asking a simple question. Having spent nearly 30 years professionally in wildlife management and conservation, I'm always curious about how individuals manage their own property. I typically recommend to landowners not to mow their clover plots continuously throughout the growing season unless there is a competition problem from unwanted grasses and weeds. As I mentioned previously, clover plots this time of year can be very attractive for turkey poults as they provide foraging opportunities and overhead concealment at the same time.
I also commonly see youtube videos where "wildlife experts" recommend mowing clover plots to supposedly promote young tender vegetation, but in reality this isn't really needed a great deal. I do clip my plots high late summer to control weeds and grasses from going to seed, but if I'm constantly mowing my plots, I'm only removing additional food resources needed at this time of the year.
A lot of variables of course based on your own situation, but it's just my 2 cents. I applaud your efforts though, as we all know it takes a lot of time and dedication to manage for wildlife!

Yeah, I am not a professional and am small time with my 55 acres, but I am not by any means a newbie to food plots either. Been putting in and managing plots on my farm for over 30 years.

To manage it how?

To add to Quailman's comment, my strongest clover come August heat will be the clover with shade on it, whether it be from adjacent trees or the "weeds" I didn't cut, and a lot of those weeds feed deer just as well or better than the clover.

Forbs (including clover) grow from the end and grasses from the base. Clipping will "refresh" grasses but only chops good forage on forbs.

I broadcast wheat into my clover plots back over the fall. But I do have some grasses and weeds in my main clover plot. Kinda tough to spray effectively with my sprayer in waist high vegetation.

 

[readonly]

I finished cutting my 45 acres of hay today. I had planned to cut last weekend but it rained through Wed. So I cut Thurs thru today, raked and have started baling.

No turkey tests were destroyed. I did have two box turtles run out from in front of the mower, they are smart enough to run away whereas rabbits and mice keep running back to the tall grass. To my knowledge I have never hit a fawn or a turkey nest. There are always crows following the mower and they jump on anything that has been hit, which is rodents and rabbits. I know I would see a turkey before hitting it and would stop tractor and physically move it out of the way it if I had too.

I can understand not seeing a fawn or nest of turkey eggs before hitting it, but I feel certain I would see it on the next pass or when the crows are picking it apart.

About 10-12 years ago a guy cutting on my place left a patch around turkey nest and a couple days later when I found it they had pipped out, so nest successfully saved that time.

We have better nesting habitat than hay fields.

One of the reasons I was curious is because the USDA guys were pushing a program a few years ago where they pay per acre if you wait to cut after a certain date. I did not get the date or the amount they were paying.

 

[deerhunter10]

We cut another 50 acres this past week. No nest no fawns didnt think there would be in this cutting but never know. Everything else we have left to cut fawns would be the only issues. Then back around to start 2nd. Never ends until the fall.

 

[FTG-05]

I moved onto this place in Oct. 2013. The pace hadn't been cut in 2-3 years, it was a mess. I got my Bushhog 286 in May 2014 and went to town. I kept seeing turkeys flying off as I went around the fields. The next day I saw turkeys congregating around the cut fields.

That's when I realized I had killed a bunch of turkey nests. I don't do that anymore; I wait until at least the end of June to cut - and stop immediately if I see any turkeys flying off.

We used to see flocks of turkeys around here....... :(

 

[megalomaniac]

I moved onto this place in Oct. 2013. The pace hadn't been cut in 2-3 years, it was a mess. I got my Bushhog 286 in May 2014 and went to town. I kept seeing turkeys flying off as I went around the fields. The next day I saw turkeys congregating around the cut fields.

That's when I realized I had killed a bunch of turkey nests. I don't do that anymore; I wait until at least the end of June to cut - and stop immediately if I see any turkeys flying off.

We used to see flocks of turkeys around here....... :(

That sounds like more like keeping a place clean rather than cutting hay for production for cattle.

If you are just keeping a place clean (and I have a couple hundred acres of that stuff), bushhog end of July in dry summers, mid August wet summers... you get max regrowth of palatable native browse for deer by November and dont disrupt turkey nests.

When I was younger, and employed by my Papaw, my Papaw liked clean fields. He had me bushhog those same fields May and November uear after year. They were clean. But worthless for wildlife. I dont care about clean. I want to produce, raise, feed, then kill deer and turkeys, while maintaining open ground. My Papaw wouldnt be happy, but the open ground is still open and unchanged bushhogging once per year.

Now when it comes to production hay for cattle or sale... its cut when its ready. Period. Normally that's the 1st week of June... which is a disaster for turkeys sonce some are going into lockdown.

This year due to the early warm spring, we cut mid May.... IDEAL for any turkeys who nested in the hayfields (plus deer, as they hadn't fawned yet) as the hens weren't in lockdown. They just abandoned their nests, walked away safely, and got the toms fired up to breed again. That may be one of the reasons I had the best hunting of the entire year end of turkey season this year.

 

[FTG-05]

You're exactly right, about keeping it "clean". I've given up trying to find someone to hay it - nobody wants to deal with my hill. I don't blame them; the juice isn't worth the squeeze.

But it's also about the wildlife. So, it's good to hear end of July/early August for deer.

 

[deerhunter10]

You're exactly right, about keeping it "clean". I've given up trying to find someone to hay it - nobody wants to deal with my hill. I don't blame them; the juice isn't worth the squeeze.

But it's also about the wildlife. So, it's good to hear end of July/early August for deer.

Our places arent the prettiest from the road. We bush hog in Februaryish and just do our roads and our lanes before deer season. We have places we keep clean but our bush hog is never hooked up until after July 4th.